


baby, it's cold outside

by Sumi



Category: Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-05
Updated: 2018-05-05
Packaged: 2019-05-02 09:20:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14541597
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sumi/pseuds/Sumi
Summary: Rivera finds herself enjoying the time she spends with Annis despite how much she dislikes the cold.





	baby, it's cold outside

**Author's Note:**

  * For [fate_goes_ever](https://archiveofourown.org/users/fate_goes_ever/gifts).



The cold wind cut through the mountain pass and chilled Rivera to the bone even through the thick coat wrapped around her short frame. Despite the danger in involved in her mission, what Rivera resented most was the bitter cold of the Frostback Mountains. The Inquisition had asked for a few scouts to stay behind in the mountains to tie up any loose ends of their time there and she had volunteered to lead them.

She found the Avvar to be accommodating, despite their frosty home. She a knew a little about their culture, as she’d been born and raised on the surface. Strangely, she knew more about the Avvar than the Orzammar. Rivera’s mother had left when she became pregnant with her and had never looked back. Whatever curiosity Rivera had once held for her mother’s home had vanished long ago.

The feeling a fur being draped over her shoulders broke Rivera out of her musing on the past. She found that she’d stopped walking and was staring out over the path pensively. Beside her was one of the Avvar merchants, Annis. Annis had become a guide for the Inquisition while it was still in its first tenure in the mountains. She was pleasant, and the had simple, straightforward nature of all Avvar.

“You lowlanders can’t handle the cold, can you?” Annis asked. She stood beside Rivera with no fur and one less layer of coats yet seemed unaffected by the temperature or the wind.

Rivera sighed. “I don’t know about the others, but I’ve never been fond of the cold.”

Annis nodded. “The weather will only get colder from here, lowlander. Best wear extra layers until you start back to your fortress.”

“In consideration of my hatred for the cold, thank you for the fur. I’m already starting to regain feeling.”

The fur was a bit too big for Rivera, forcing her to grip it with both hands while she walked to keep in closed around her in the bitter wind. Still it was heavy and blocked out the cold well. She felt herself beginning to warm up, even walking the icy, maker-damned paths of the mountains. Her toes were still numb, but there was little she could do about that. Rivera simply hoped to get out of the mountains with all her toes still attached when this was done.

When shelter finally came into view, Rivera groaned in relief. She was sorely tempted to rush forward and duck in out of cold, but she restrained herself and walked calmly in with the rest of the party, betraying nothing of her eagerness to get inside.

The door slammed shut after them due to the wind, but Rivera didn’t mind that at all. She took up a place by the fire, wrapped the fur as tightly around her as she could, and stayed like that until the feeling returned to her toes. When she could wiggle her toes in her boots and feel them thumping around inside, Rivera shrugged off the fur with a sigh.

From the room behind her, Annis snorted. “Are you finally warm?” she asked from over Rivera’s shoulder.

Rivera titled her body so that she was almost leaning into the fire and smiled. “If you’re asking if I longer fear frostbite, then yes.”

Annis chuckled and muttered something under her breath with an amused shake of her head.

Still smiling, Rivera shifted to make herself comfortable just outside the reach of the hearth’s flames, crossed one booted ankle over the other, and closed her eyes. Before long, the soft whisper of the hearth fire had lulled her to sleep.

When morning came, Rivera woke up over-cooked and slightly damp. The fire hadn’t been allowed to burn out and was roasting her in all her layers. She stood, and peeled off each coat and undercoat, impressed with their sturdiness. They had certainly done their job; she was warm. Too warm now and sweating uncomfortably. The innermost layers were stuck to her and with her outer clothes in her arms she trudged up to the washroom for a basin of hot water and wash rag. After she had scrubbed the sweat from her skin and changed into different clothes, Rivera went out for a breath of cold, fresh air.

Outside, Rivera spotted Annis a few yards away from the shelter, seemingly deep in conversation with someone that Rivera didn’t know, holding a mug in each hand. They caught one another’s eyes and though Rivera expected little more than a nod and smile, Annis immediately ended her conversation and came striding over.  
“Nepja!” Annis called with a wide, gleeful grin. When she saw the quizzical look on Rivera’s face, she explained. “It means ‘cold one.’ How are you this morning, Nepja?”  
“I can happily say I am not cold in the least. At least, not right now.”

Annis cocked her head to the side for a moment, then threw her head back and laughed. “I wasn’t sure about you lowlanders, honestly. But you, I like. You’re interesting.”  
Rivera paused to process the words. “I imagine the Inquisitor is far more interesting than I am,” she said at last.  
“Nepja, never discount the ones behind the scenes,” Annis said.

Before Rivera could say anything else, Annis shoved one of the mugs of steaming liquid at her. The steam rose into Rivera’s face. It smelled delicious. Rivera didn’t hesitate. She blew on it three times and took a large gulp. The hot, wonderful broth tumbled into her stomach, spreading precious warmth from her core outward. For moment, Rivera thought she could get use to living in the Frostback Mountains. By the time she had drank the last of the broth, she felt full and ready to continue the morning.

The remainder of the Inquisition’s time in the mountains was straightforward. They had divided into small groups to dispatch any darkspawn or Hakkonites still roaming the mountain paths. Of the two, Rivera was expecting far more darkspawn. Both groups had lowered numbers thanks to the Inquisition forces, but darkspawn could still pop out of the fade like elf root sprouted out of the ground.

It took a few weeks to trace and retrace the paths, fighting darkspawn and Hakkonites, and clearing them out of the passes. They went back to the shelter when they could and slept in tents when they couldn’t.

Annis came with them when they went out to fight. In Avvar merchants worked as fighters as well. Unlike the clear divisions of labor that Rivera knew from the Orzammar, everyone in the Avvar took up the sword when needed, no matter the age, status, or occupation of the individual.

“Nepja, come join me at the fire,” Annis called. They had comeback from a day of fighting and were about to settle down in the common room for the night. “I have some soup to heat your cold bones.”

Rivera shivered, but smiled, trotting over Annis at a near breakneck speed. “The gesture is very much appreciated,” she said, sitting down for her meal.  
It seemed they took all their meals together.

When the passes were finally clear, they headed back to shelter one last time, where they would leave for Skyhold from. Rivera was eager to leave the intense cold of the mountains behind, but less eager to part ways with the Avvar. One Avvar, in particular. She paced in front of the fire in one of the upper rooms of the shelter, half dressed, thinking.

“I thought you were meant to be leaving, Nepja.” Annis. Somehow, she’d snuck into the room when Rivera was deep in thought. Annis was a large woman but very light on her feet. Whether on the ice-covered paths of the mountain, or the bare wooden floors of the shelter, it never ceased to amazed Rivera how quietly the woman could move.

“We will start heading out on my signal,” Rivera admitted. “I admit, I’m stalling somewhat.”

Annis smiled knowingly and took Rivera by the wrist. She led her to the small bed in the room and had them both sit down on its fur covering. Then she kissed her, softly but with a single mindedness that surprised Rivera. For a few moments the world dropped away, and when it returned Annis was shrugging off her undercoat with a grin.

“I like you stalling,” Annis said.

Rivera smiled and planned on stalling for another hour or so. She was certain the Inquisitor would be pleased to hear that she’d singlehandedly improved the relations between the Avvar and the Inquisition forces.


End file.
